TWICE A WEEK
After just a few years of marriage filled with disagreements and arguments, a young man and his wife decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. Things had slipped from bad to worse as the months passed, turning their marriage into a marathon of misery. They had been at each other's throats for so long that counseling seemed like their only hope. He was incredibly insensitive and dull, while she was hyperactive and dominant. That's never a good mix.
When they arrived at the designated office, the counselor jumped right in and opened the floor for discussion. "Well," he began, "what seems to be the problem?"
Immediately, the husband slumped in his chair, assuming a defeated posture. He stared down at the carpet, finally managing a shrug of the shoulders. He had nothing to say. In contrast, his wife launched immediately into her script, talking ninety miles an hour, describing all the wrongs within their marriage. And every problem could be traced back to him--his failures, his insensitivities, his failure to communicate. And so it went.
After fifteen minutes of listening to the non-stop wife, the counselor stood up without saying a word, walked over to her, and while she was still in mid-sentence, picked her up by her shoulders, gave her a big hug, kissed her passionately, then sat her back down. She sat in stunned silence.
The counselor looked over at her husband, who sat there staring in disbelief. He then said to the husband, "Listen to me, now. Your wife needs that at least twice a week--every week!"
The husband blinked, and scratched his head. "Well," he replied, "I guess I could bring her here on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
Believe it or not, I've met guys who are that out of touch. In this case, it contributed to what was already a bad day for a harried marriage counselor.